Comment on this post with a NEW blog topic (one that has not been featured before) and be entered to win a Top Lottery Pick for 2019-2020 Housing Selection! To win, you must be a current student and plan to live on campus Fall 2019. Only one topic submission per person allowed. To be considered for a Top Lottery Pick, you must submit your topic between October 26, 2018 through November 26, 2018 at 11:59 pm. One winner will be randomly selected, will be notified by November 26 and will select a space on November 28.

Like many of our recent blog posts, this is a topic that is frequently requested by our fellow students, so we wanted to follow through! If there’s anything college students love, it’s Netflix binging, and The Office is one of the best shows out there! Side note: if you’re looking for a different show to binge, check out this article.

We’re about to lay down some solid comparisons in terms of which characters from this beloved show have some similarities with our favorite dorms on campus. If you can think of one that we missed, or have some other ideas, let us know in the comments!

Jim Halpert – Hinton James

Tall. Popular. Goofy at times, but knows when to get serious. Someone you can always rely on.

Am I talking about HoJo or our show’s protagonist, Jim Halpert? Who knows! These are obviously the stars of their respective settings, with each of them playing a huge role in your experience, even if its not your favorite. You may not have lived in HoJo, but you knew all about it and heard the stories anyway! Same way with Jim–this one is simple.

Pam Beasley – Horton

Pam and Horton Residence Hall are similar in many ways. They definitely aren’t the loudest, and can remain calm in very hectic situations. Horton is also located conveniently pretty close to Hinton James, just as Pam is to Jim!

It also doesn’t hurt that Horton is home to our First-Year honors students, while Pam is known as one of the smartest is the office. The similarities are endless!

Dwight Schrute – Carmichael

Another big man on campus, Carmichael is home to many of UNC’s athletes, our big and buff Tar Heels. If Dwight were a UNC student, his physical vigor–or at least his own description on his application–would definitely land him a spot conveniently close to all the gyms.

Physical vigor is only one of many talents

Dwight is also one of the most resourceful characters on The Office, always making the best use out of his space. Carmichael is full of awesome resources, including the BeAM space!

Michael Scott – Connor Community

Being the boss, Michael has to be close to the action–much like Connor is to Lenoir, Davis, and the Union, among other popular spots on campus.

Michael is also given a whole community, rather than just one building, because he’s such a social butterfly, always surrounding himself with other people. It’s only fitting that he would be close to his friends–Alexander, Winston, and Joyner!

Kelly Kapoor – Morrison

She likes to be in the middle of things, and Morrison is no stranger to chaos, being one of the largest communities on campus! Kelly LIVES for drama and gossip, and there’s got to be a ton of that going on when you have 900+ students in one building. Super-suites and close proximity to Starbucks? Kelly would DEF find herself here pretty often!

Phyllis Vance – Ram Village

Phyllis is definitely a little picky about her personal space; she and Stanley constantly bicker about whose things are on whose desks. Considering this, she would definitely want her own space, and maybe even a kitchen to do some cooking!

Phyllis, showing her friends through Ram Village

I think Phyllis would also appreciate the relatively quiet culture of Rams, where there aren’t First-Years running through the halls at all hours.

Ryan Howard – Craige North

Definitely one of the coolest places that First-Years can live, considering its 4-person suites and proximity to Chase Hall–and Ryan is all about his image! Naturally, Ryan would be located as close to Kelly (Morrison) as possible, so Craige North is a good fit.

Additionally, he would obviously have to be very close to the b-school; this one is a no-brainer.

B-school leadership tactics galore

…and last, but not least…

Stanley Hudson – Old East

Widely respected. Been around the block a few times. Definitely don’t want to mess with this one.

Just as Old East is the oldest building on campus, Stanley is one of the oldest employees at Dunder-Mifflin, in both company-experience and age. They both have a quiet, reserved nature, but still enjoy a good party every now and then.

While there are plenty of Office characters, and plenty more residence halls on UNC’s campus, I’m sure you’ve already had enough of this article. If you have any additional comparisons, let me know in the comments.

That’s right folks!

As you may have heard, UNC’s campus is home to 12 beautiful libraries, where students love to study with friends (but also procrastinate and enjoy an Alpine bagel). While they can’t all be as as big and beautiful as our friend Davis, each and every one of them is special in its own way!

My article today is going to be a completely biased ranking of the 12 libraries on campus, according to my experience. However, feel free to leave me a message in the comments, letting me know which is your fav!

12. (Sloane) Art Library

This bad boy is only open during business hours, which means no late-night study sessions. I also don’t have much interest in studying art, but this definitely may be a good fit if you’re an Arts major, as it is conveniently located in Hanes Art Center.

11. Law Library

I’ve included this one so far down on the list because I’ve only ever seen the Law School while riding past it on the RU, so I don’t know what this building is actually like. If it’s surprisingly a beautiful library, feel free to let me know!

10. Government (Knapp) Library

This library is similar to #11 in that I’ve never actually seen the inside of it, but I’ve ranked it higher on the list because it’s called Knapp, which sounds like nap? Maybe it’s a secretly great napping space on campus!

9. Media and Journalism Library

I’ve ranked the MeJo library pretty low simply because I’m not a big fan of Carroll Hall. I’ve only had classes in that one lecture hall with those really tiny desks, which was not fun. You guys know what I mean?

8. Music Library

I’m as big a fan of music as the next guy, and I do appreciate the resources available in this space. However, it’s located inside of Wilson, but is really more of a side-show to the real Wilson Library, which is ranked much higher on this list.

7. Information & Library Science Library

This one is cool because it’s an actual library for librarians, which I think is neat. It’s also home to UNC’s largest selection of children’s literature, leading many to call it our campus’s Children’s Library!

6. Stone Center Library

While this space is nothing fancy, it ranks pretty high on the list for its convenient location! Located below South Road and next to the Genome Sciences Building, this one is a hidden gem in a very well-travelled part of our campus. Check it out!

5. (Kenan) Science Library

Kenan is definitely one of our smallest libraries on campus, but has a lot of awesome resources, as well as close proximity to our BeAMaker Space! They also have very cool study rooms, which can be reserved online.

4. Health Sciences Library

An honorable mention, this library has the BEST location for any of our Public Health, Nursing, or other graduate health students located near the hospitals. It’s also home to the Friends’ Café, its very own coffee shop!

3. House Undergraduate Library (UL)

I might ruffle some feathers by placing this as #3, but I think a few too many all-nighters here may have ruined it for me. However, the 24-hour all-access study space is definitely convenient, if nothing else. Easily a Top 3 UNC library.

2. Wilson (Special Collections Library)

Arguably the architectural grandfather of our beautiful campus, this building would easily rank #1 if not for its limited hours and strict noise policy. Can we start a a campus-wide movement to keep Wilson open past 5pm?

1. Davis Library <3

The big man on campus. Davis has a little bit of everything, perfect for each student’s study preferences. You want quiet, cozy study rooms? Check out the view from the 8th floor! Want to chat with your friends & eat dinner while studying? Grab a booth in the 1st floor study lounge. Davis is objectively the BEST library on campus, and is only getting better with renovations!

Thanks for bearing with me through this VERY long post about UNC’s many libraries! Let me know in the comments how you feel, and we can start a healthy discussion about which truly is BEST! Happy studying, Tar Heels!!

Ask any UNC student or alumni which college they hate the most and I’d be willing to bet a solid 90 percent of them will say Dook. That being said, I’m sure there’s some people, in particular, incoming first-years who don’t really follow the rivalry (yet), that are kind of confused by this hatred.

Why do we hate Dook so much? What is it about the University of New Jersey at Durham that just sets all UNC people on edge? I can’t necessarily speak for every UNC fan, but I think there are some general things we can all agree on when it comes to why we hate Dook.

There are some who will tell you that we hate them because they’re good, but I can give you three reasons that argument makes no sense.

First of all, the point is moot because we’re good as well.

Second, I’ve always hated this argument in sports because no one hates anyone just because they’re good. Clemson is good at football and I don’t hate them. LeBron is good at basketball and I don’t hate him. Cate Blanchett is good at acting and I REALLY don’t hate her. My point is, simply being good isn’t enough for people to hate you like we hate Dook.

Third, when you really look at it, they’re not as good as they seem to think they are. I mean sure, they have a lot of preseason championships to their name, but given all of the tools they have at their disposal, they really don’t do that well. In the last three years, they’ve had a recruiting class with at least three five-star recruits, many of whom were the number one player at their position, they have Coach K, who is one of the greatest college coaches of all time and most of the time they switch to zone defense in March, which, according to my friend Colby, is for cowards. And with all of these assets, what do they have to show for it? One (1) Elite Eight appearance in the last three years. In all honesty, it is truly inspiring how they continue to do so little with so much.

But I’m getting off-track. Why do we hate Dook? Because they’re snobby and entitled.

Their snobbery is difficult to articulate until you’ve experienced it yourself. For me, that was visiting their campus. I visited Dook in 2014 when I was going on a trip with my family to visit colleges, and right away, I realized that there was just something so off-putting about a ridiculously expensive haven for Ivy-League rejects with a weird amount of Gothic architecture located in Durham, North Carolina. It gives it this air of snobbiness that you can feel the second you step foot in that area, and the snobbiness pervades into some of the attitudes of the students and players (notice I said ‘some of’ before any of you get mad).

Then there’s the entitlement. Like I mentioned earlier, Dook has more tools at their disposal than nearly any other team in college basketball, and they still end up with mediocre finishes. Also, the way they play, with all the whining and the flopping is infuriating. I’ll admit, everyone does a fair amount of flopping now, but Dook has been doing it forever, and has honestly made an art out of it. My personal favorite instance of Dook whining, though, has to be Luke Kennard in the 2017 NCAA Tournament:

There are so many things I love about that picture, but I think the thing I love the most is how much it looks like the crying Northwestern kid.

Speaking of Kennard, let’s talk about Dook’s players for a second. Granted, not all of them are that annoying, I’ll actually admit that Marvin Bagley III seems like an ok guy and is definitely a phenomenal basketball player. But the players like Grayson Allen, J.J. Redick and Christian Laettner are some of the most hated players in college basketball. And that hatred doesn’t stem from the fact that they’re “good,” as many Dook fans would have you believe. It stems from the unsportsmanlike conduct and arrogance they constantly exhibited. I mean, who could forget Laettner’s infamous stomp:

Or the Grayson Allen tripping saga that resulted in him throwing a temper tantrum on the bench and getting suspended indefinitely (which apparently means one game):

Or J.J. Redick’s like…general aura:

These three were some of the most polarizing figures in sports during their time at Dook, and when I say polarizing, what I actually mean is that the only people that liked them were Dook fans.

I think I’ve gone on long enough, and hopefully, this will serve as an introduction into exactly where this rivalry comes from, but if you want someone who explains the hatred of Dook way better than I could ever hope to, here’s a column from the Daily Tar Heel on the subject. And if there are any Dook fans reading this, click here to read a rebuttal to this post.

And, just for fun, here’s my least favorite player, Grayson Allen, committing what is, in my opinion, the dumbest foul of all time.

If you’re an incoming first year, you may wonder if the broke college student life is real? Even as a returning student you could be in that current state as we speak (well read). Either way, whomever you may be, I’m going to share some tips on how to save your shmoneyy and get your coins.

FOOD. FOOD. FOOD.

Since we’re notorious for being broke college students, ever wonder what we spend the most money on? It is known that most college students spend a lot of money on food, and after just my first year I can definitely attest to that. Whether it’s grabbing a bite out with friends or ordering in, we tend to overspend on meals. So, in order to avoid all the unnecessary expenses on food, it is wise to add dinning flex to your UNC One Card. For those of you who may not know, you can add flex which is basically money specifically for food to your UNC One Card. This will allow you to pay for meals by swiping (like a regular card) at those dinning locations all around campus and even some places on Franklin Street. This way you have allotted money that is specifically for food so you wont have to worry about impulse buying. Also, if you have a meal plan on campus, make sure to utilize those green to-go boxes to store food for later, so you can not only save a swipe but you won’t have to worry about your next meal. In addition, purchasing snacks or groceries to keep in your room is smarter as you’re able to grab something from your fridge easily instead of having to order something. Needless to say, grabbing a meal with friends or ordering your favorite pizza once in awhile is okay but try to avoid overspending so you can save your coins for other things.

GETTING A JOB OR INTERNSHIP

Although your main priority for coming to college is to get that degree, if you have the time or chance, picking up a part-time job or finding a paid internship can very beneficial. Not only will you be rewarded financially but you are also getting experiences that will allow you to develop your skills that you can eventually put on your resume. Working is also an opportunity that will help you learn how to save because you will soon come to realize the value and/or struggle of making a buck. Having a job also teaches you management and organization which you can apply to saving money and spending, or in this case not spending. Nonetheless, getting that paycheck every other week is a sweet feeling and is even sweeter when you don’t go out the next day and spend it all. Of course, you deserve to treat your self for all that hard work but don’t go overboard so that all your hard earned money won’t be wasted on things you’ll never use or that are unnecessary.

BUDGETING

As lame and tedious as that may sound, it’s very beneficial to have a budget planned for the school year cause if not well…

Creating a plan or system where you allot specific amount of money to certain things like clothes, going out, school supplies and groceries will help you visually map out the needs from the wants. It gives you the chance to see where your bad spending habits are, and also helps you find ways to organize your expenses. Also, when budgeting you can create a certain plan to save money (like 50% of you paycheck goes to your saving account) that way you will have the funds in case of an emergency or unexpected circumstances. Most banks have budgeting softwares within their banking apps or you can simply write out a plan in your notes and take control! Additionally, UNC hosts many events targeted to students like us, who struggle with spending money so be sure to look out for flyers to get some tips from professionals about how to budget and save! There are many resources available and many are at your fingertips, so be sure to use them while you can to avoid breaking the bank.

Finals week can be an incredibly overwhelming end to the semester as your classes cram all the material you have learned into one test. In addition to studying, a lot, there are numerous ways for you to ensure your finals week goes by as smoothly as possible! Below are some tips that have gotten me through my finals during my two years at UNC!

1. Take Care of Chores Beforehand

During finals week, your brain is often working at maximum capacity, possibly storing analytical chemistry knowledge one day, and medieval Europe material the next. Because of the frantic schedule of finals week, it helps if you can eliminate chores beforehand. For example, buying final exam materials, such as blue books (used for writing exams), or scantrons beforehand can ensure that you do not forget them the day of the exam! Additionally, doing your laundry before finals week helps free up your schedule so you will not have to worry about clothes while studying. By doing chores beforehand, you maximize time for what truly matters during finals week : sleep, food, and studying!

2. Take Advantage of Residence Hall Study Lounges!

Students tend to gravitate towards the libraries on campus such as Wilson, Davis, or the Undergraduate Library during finals week. Because most students are planning to study at the libraries, they can often become very crowded and hard to find seats in. For this reason, the study lounges that come with every residence hall can be an excellent resource for studying without the packed atmosphere! Personally, I enjoyed using the study lounges in Horton during finals week because it was so close to my room as opposed to the North Campus libraries (Wilson, Davis, and the Undergraduate Library)!

Pictured : Craige North Residence Hall Study Lounge

3. Exercise is Your Friend!

For many students during finals week, exercise is the first thing to be sacrificed in exchange for study time. However, exercising can be a worthwhile study break that relieves stress which is effective in improving your mentality and preventing the potential onset of stress-induced acne. Also, exercising with a friend can be used as a much needed break to be social and remind yourself that finals week can be more than confining yourself to the company of only books and study guides!

4. Don’t Forget to Eat!

While putting in long hours of studying for exams it’s easy to simply “work through meals.” However, by forgetting to eat three meals a day, you can be lowering your overall energy levels which can negatively affect studying and test performance. Additionally, it’s vital to eat a well-rounded meal to ensure you are fueling your body for success. For example, fresh fruit can be used as a much needed sugar boost while eggs can be an excellent source of protein!

5. Make Time for Sleep!

One of the worst aspects of finals week is the dreaded all-night study sessions that result in eye bags and drained energy. Often times, all-night study sessions can be replaced with waking up early, and studying efficiently throughout the day. Also, by reaching around 7-8 hours of sleep a night, you will be able to approach your final exam with fresh eyes and a rested mind. Personally, after performing an all-night study session, I have found myself making small mistakes that simply result from a lack of sleep.

When moving into a new residence hall, meeting people can be a daunting task because it seems like everyone is fixed on their own routine. However, the vast majority of students are eager to meet new friends and are simply uncertain about how to start the first conversation. Here are some tips that will ensure you get a chance to meet some of your potential best college friends!

1. Keep an Open Door Policy

Once you are done moving into your residence hall, it is wise to keep your door open to convey a friendly vibe. By having your door open, your hallmates will often visit your room to introduce themselves. Through these introductions, you might find that you have similar music, movie, or sports interests with your hallmates and find a quality friend!

2. Go to the First Hall Meeting

Most RAs (Resident Assistants) will host a hall meeting for their residents after move-in day. This meeting can not only be an excellent way to find out information about future residence hall events, but also a great way to meet new friends. The vast majority of the people at the first hall meeting will not know each other so everyone is keen on making new friends! Also, the first hall meeting often includes some type of free snack which is reason enough to go! For example, my first hall meeting at Horton Residence Hall featured some delicious brownies.

3. Take Advantage of Residence Hall Events

Residence halls often feature different entertaining events that numerous residents attend. For example, trivia nights, free food, and friendly sports competitions are all common events! Because so many residents attend these events, also going is a excellent way to meet new friends and familiarize yourself with your residence hall. While in Horton Residence Hall, there were many events that involved free pizza where I met new friends while also enjoying free food!

4. Become Everyone’s Best Friend Through Baking!

Taking advantage of the community kitchens that come with every residence hall at UNC can also be a way to meet new friends! For example, I met one of my good friends in Horton Residence Hall through her messaging our group chat for our hall saying to come by her room if anyone wanted cookies. For obvious reasons, a good amount of people showed up to the room. However, people did not just grab a cookie and leave, they tended to hang around and have a conversation. For this reason, baking something for the hall can be a great way to meet new people!

5. Work on Homework in the Study Lounge

The study lounges in the different residence halls at UNC are a worthwhile place to work because of the available space to focus. Despite the study lounges usually being a quiet space, they can also be a great place to meet people in your residence hall! Often people will introduce themselves to different people in study lounges which makes it a great place to find a potential study buddy!

Your residence hall will often be the place you find some of your best college friends. By taking the initiative to be social, you will quickly become familiar with your residence hall!

For many college students, having an 8 a.m. class in their schedule can be a terrible way to start the day. However, that does not have to be the case! By making small adjustments in your routine, and picking the right class, having an 8 a.m can be an excellent way to get more use out of the day!

1. Take a Class You Are Interested In

As you wake up to a blaring alarm clock during the early hours of the morning, the thought will definitely cross your mind “should I even go to this class?” To make sure you do not lay your head back on the pillow, it helps if your 8 a.m is a class you’re interested in. Having an interesting 8 a.m will not only increase your chances of making the class, but will also make the class time more enjoyable. Instead of fighting to stay awake in class, because the course material will be personally engaging, you will be more attentive in class!

2. Mandatory Attendance

If taking an interesting 8 a.m is not enough to coerce you to get out of bed, a required attendance policy might. Many professors have required attendance for their classes meaning you can only miss a limited amount of days before you start having points deducted. By having a direct consequence for missing class, most students will find a way to attend classes with required attendance. For this reason, seeking out an 8 a.m class with a required attendance policy can ensure that you do not miss class!

3. Everything is Better With Friends!

When going to a class alone, it is easy to convince yourself that skipping is not that bad. However, when taking a class with a friend, you are becoming accountable to another person. That being said, if you skip your 8 a.m then you will certainly be receiving a disappointed text message from your friend who made it to class. Additionally, any class is better with a friend to talk to!

4. Keep Your Alarm Clock Away From Your Bed

One trap that makes it easier to oversleep for class is having an alarm clock that is too close to your bed. Whether you use an actual alarm clock, or your phone, it helps if you place it away from your bed before you go to sleep. The reasoning is, by getting out of bed, and walking to your ringing alarm clock, you will be less likely to go back to sleep because you are no longer in your cozy cocoon of a dorm bed.

5. Keeping a Healthy Sleep Schedule

Managing to consistently attend an 8 a.m class can be difficult, but can be made nearly impossible by a terrible sleep schedule. For this reason, striving to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep before having to wake up for your 8 a.m is ideal. This can be easier accomplished by staying productive during the day so that you are less likely to have to sacrifice sleep for late-night homework sessions!

Comment on this post with a NEW blog topic (one that has not been featured before) and be entered to win a Top Lottery Pick for 2018-2019 Housing Selection! To win, you must be a current student and plan to live on campus Fall 2018. Only one topic submission per person allowed. To be considered for a Top Lottery Pick, you must submit your topic between October 23, 2017 through November 20, 2017 at 11:59 pm. One winner will be randomly selected, will be notified between November 22, and will select a space on November 28.

Comment on this post with a NEW blog topic (one that has not been featured before) and be entered to win a Top Lottery Pick for 2017-2018 Housing Selection! To win, you must be a current student and plan to live on campus Fall 2017. Only one topic submission per person allowed. To be considered for a Top Lottery Pick, you must submit your topic between October 26, 2016 through November 20, 2016 at midnight. One winner will be randomly selected, will be notified between November 21-22, and will select a space on November 28.